Faith Before the Flood: the Ark

Faith before the flood: The Ark

Gerry Gallen SJ

Tonight, Monday 30 March, BBC One will screen Tony Jordan’s new version of a biblical epic, The Ark. It is sensitively written and full of family drama, and what theology it does

contain is at odds with the 2014 blockbuster, Noah; but its depiction of faith may not be quite what we would expect. How can this adaptation of the iconic story speak to Christians in Holy Week?

BBC One has chosen to hoping to find some insights dedicate its post-EastEnders slot about salvation theory carved on the Monday of Holy Week into the walls of the ark might to a new 90-minute dramatisati- be disappointed. on of an iconic biblical chapter. Written by Tony Jordan, who This is a decidedly literal counts EastEnders interpretation of the Genesis impressive The Nativity among account: Jordan is pointing his credits, The Ark echoes the towards the figure of Noah and concerns of both of those proje- this episode in his life as a cts in that it is a story primarily prophetic event common to about people, relationships and Judaism, Christianity and family values. Islam. But for Christians the David Threlfall as Noah in The Ark (Photo: BBC) story has a richer meaning

It is a difficult tale to tackle, on when viewed through the lens primetime television or otherwise, and Jordan takes a of Christ. different approach to most representations. The ark is a precursor to the story of redemption in the narrative has so often been infantilised and reduced to Jesus Christ, the new Noah. deliberately, there are no animals to be seen here, apart from a couple of goats and some silhouettes of No such ideas find expression here. Jordan, a man giraffes and elephants. Nor is there much water who has come to his own faith through his writing, what drama we see here comes from the family has tried hard not to radicalise the story, unlike last dynamic, not from CGI. s big-budget Hollywood interpretation: this Noah receives his instructions from God via a simple That dynamic is undoubtedly strong, thanks to encounter with a lone figure (Ashley Walters) in the sensitive writing, good casting and strong acting, desert; there are no histrionics or stone-clad fallen particularly from Noah (David Threlfall try to angels to hammer home the message. J overlook his resemblance to Eric Idle in The Life of to ground such an incident in as much normality as Brian!) and his wife (Joanne Whalley). And in fact, if possible will no doubt go down well with many this is to be classed as a tale about faith, it is Emmie people of faith whose religious experiences take place unshakeable faith in and love for her husband that in the routine of everyday life, rather than accomp- her anied by thunderbolts. But such an event could only devotion to him, and the reactions of their sons and really be rendered powerfully on screen if it happened their wives, gives this story both its backbone and its within a fully- momentum. This makes for good drama, but those which it does not. The family say a quick grace together before meals, and Noah pays lip service to a issues in general and the debate around climate firm belief in God, but otherwise there is little change in particular. evidence of how the faith of this supposedly devout would rather live in a world of his own design, and man finds expression in his life, which makes his this is what it looks like, says Noah how challen- claims to revelation seem as unbelievable to the ging it might have been to a contemporary audience audience as to his wife. to frame the story in such a way that this design involved neglect of creation as much as of people, That is not to say that this is a programme without pollution as much as corruption. In Genesis itself, meaning or value and in fact the ludicrousness of after the flood, God's covenant includes humanity and absorbing family all living creatures, the covenant between me and the drama to develop. What theology we do find here is earth (Genesis 9:13). Few viewers will have their theology from below, with ideals of service, commit- relationship with God changed by this sympathetic ment and social justice all alluded to; again this is in and personal take on a grand narrative, but a clearer Noah, in which the exhortation to stewardship might have found a demands of a vengeful Creator loomed large over the captive audience. plot. The God of The Ark is less intent on delivering punishment to the world than he is on offering The Ark will make good Holy Week viewing for people, through Noah, a chance to change their ways anybody willing to engage with the struggle of and save themselves from the consequences of living answering a call that demands sacrifice and in a world in which the rich get richer and everyone commitment in the face of ridicule. We should be else gets into debt, a world run by moneylenders and grateful that the BBC has seen fit to give such warmongers. Jordan does little to disguise the fact prominence to biblical drama, even if we have to bring that the society in need of deliverance could just as our own theology to the screen.

A careful and probing biblical exegesis in one and a Gerry Gallen SJ half hours of television drama might have been too much to hope for, but another opportunity that was missed here was to make a connection with ecological The Ark is on BBC One at 8.30pm on Monday 30 March.

Faith before the flood: The Ark